In the art, forklifts have traditionally been used to deliver or move materials, for example, palletized loads, in a factory or other industrial plant. For a variety of reasons, including safety concerns, plants have been moving to being “forklift free”.
The movement of materials or parts and/or material containers in a plant is typically done using automated guided vehicles (“AGV”) or a man-on-board system or a combination of both. In a typical man-on-board system, the material or components are moved in plant using a train of carts, and a human operator unloads the carts and removes empty carts. Because a human operator is involved, there will be limits on the size and/or weight of loads and/or cart configurations that can be handled, for example, based on a safety and/or physical handling considerations.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.